Dave Brubeck died in December 2012 but the pioneering jazz pianist’s music and legacy have hardly faded from the national consciousness. This past spring brought the release of a true treasure, a live recording of Brubeck and Tony Bennett performing together in 1962 at the Kennedy White House. And just last week came the news of the death of wife Iola Brubeck, who collaborated with her famous husband on a number of projects. You can read the New York Times obit here.New York, by the way, is preparing for a further celebration of all things Brubeck. The Brubeck Institute is based at University of the Pacific in Stockton and its annual festival – featuring Eddie Palmieri, Al Jarreau and Terri Lyne Carrington (above) – is set for next weekend (more on that in a moment). But the 2014 edition includes a week of hoopla in the Big Apple anchored by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Here’s the schedule.

There will be in addition a “Dave Brubeck: Jazz Ambassador” exhibit at Lincoln Center featuring historical photographs, scores, rare videos and more. It’s free and open to the public.For those unable to make the scene next month in New York, the Northern California edition of the 2014 Brubeck Festival is a tasty alternative. The schedule follows but let me call your attention to that Saturday night with Carrington. The percussionist-vocalist will perform her “Mosaic” project with Dianne Reeves, Nona Hendryx, Tia Fuller, Ingrid Jensen, Helen Sung, Matt Stevens, and Josh Hari. Incredible lineup.

Want to keep up with the best in Bay Area jazz and blues?Subscribe to us: Have our jazz and blues Examiner columns sent to your inbox. Click the SUBSCRIBE button on this page. It's free. (And we won't spam you or give out your information.) Bookmark us: http://www.examiner.com/jazz-music-in-oakland/brian-mccoy. CONTACT ME FOR YOUR JAZZ AND ARTS GRANT WRITING NEEDS

Share this article

Brian McCoy has spent the past 25 years covering jazz and other forms of arts and entertainment for newspapers in Indiana, Arizona and California. He spends the third weekend in September each year at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Contact him here.